This I suspect is the biggest issue with returning to the past. We, the player base are already aware of major players, already are aware of at least part of their stories and in many cases already have loot with their names on it. That said, I suspect I and many others are running out of patience with Blizzard in this regard. Women do make up a large percentage of the player base and whilst yes, we’re capable of being pulled in to stories where the main protagonists are male (Supernatural springs to mind), it would be nice to have females doing something other than playing bit parts and having babies once in a while. Although I do have fairly high hopes for this female Draenei as well as Warlord Zaela, she of the Dragonmaw clan.

At first I was unimpressed by the fact that we would for all intents and purposes be revisiting perhaps the ugliest of expansions but then I saw pictures. Shadowmoon Valley might always be shaded in darkness but it’s far less desolate and Hellfire Peninsula as a jungle not an arid red hell hole…. yes please. The idea of Shattrah being coastal and Zangarmarsh as a sea also appeals.

I’m hoping the evolution we see here will be constant across this brave old world albeit in reverse. Plus this picture alone made me want to go diving into the seas of Zangarmarsh to see if there are baby mushrooms on the sea bed.

I think exploring zones we have visited before albeit in a different time line will be interesting, what landmarks are familiar and what has changed completely. It seems like a much younger landscape, one bursting with life.

It will also be interesting to see how many of the fauna and flora of Outlands existed back then. For example we know the Arakkoa should have been around:

Despite the village’s eradication by the Auchindoun disaster, Terokk’s influence remained in the maligned spirits there. Travel west to Veil Rhaze and slay those murderous wretches. You’ll find them to the west of the Shadow Tomb, on the border of Bone Wastes and Terokkar Forest.

This will be our first blow against Terokk and the guardians of Skettis.

It was with interest that I noted one of the new zones is named “Spires of Arak”, I wonder if we’ll encounter more of our favourite bird people within.

New creatures, mounts and pets

This gnomish plant thing has to be a battle pet and if it’s not it really should be!

Plus I really would like a clefthoof as a mount.

Garrisons

I have high hopes for this and hope it’s customizable at least to race as I don’t see my Night Elf choosing to build a typical Human base unless of course she can have an Inn like those in Northrend preferably with the balcony facing a waterfall.

Followers have quality or rarity and can be customized and named.

The customized and named aspect appeals too. It will be interesting to visit other people’s garrisons and see what sort of names they’ve picked for what are essentially their minions. I’d like to see lots of options like being able to decorate your base for festivals like Hallows End and Winter Veil not to mention perhaps being able to “persuade” the opposite faction into helping you out. Also having certain mounts visible in your stables or having some of your battle pets running around or sleeping by the fire would be an awesome touch.

Leveling a character straight to 90

I have mixed feelings about this but now with the new Dwarf female models, I suspect mine might go on a new Warlock.

The new character models

Slightly concerned here because well at the moment Sprout is a serious Gnome as shown by the existing model on the right and and the new model appears to be anything but. I also don’t like the elasticity of new mouth. In some of those emoting screenshots it looks down right disturbing.

Everything Else

Everything else sounds pretty positive, especially the way that they want to take questing and of course the removal of daily quest hubs has to be massive step in the correct direction. Also the changes to bag space will be amazing and are about three expansions too late already. I’m also hoping that their description of the new PvP zone as being something like the original AV holds up.

The trailer left me with a sneaking desire to roll an Orc female of some sort.

All in all, I’m feeling fairly positive about the new expansion so far. Although I’m pretty sure when Sprout signed up to bring Garrosh to justice for Theramore, she didn’t know it was going to involve “time travel”.

14 Responses

I’m glad I’m not the only one who was thinking about a Lady Dwarf Warlock. I only have one of the class and he’s in his teens yet, so leveling one without having to level one is appealing. Of course, I’m also considering an Orc and they have the class available to them.

Fortunately, my Draenei are currently 85 (Hunter, M) and 70 (Shaman, F), so they don’t have far to go.

I hit 80 today on a new Draenei Shaman and I’m tempted to transfer both my Draenei Mage (already 80) and my Paladin (ditto). I do have an Outlands level Orc but it’s a toss up between start leveling one now as a side project and auto level the Dwarf or do it vice versa. Choices choices.

A young man asked the movie panel if there would be strong women characters in the movie. All he would or could I guess say was if you know your lore surrounding Lothar and Durotan you could figure it out. Now I’m obsessed with trying to figure it out, lol.

And the same for me, I now feel I must have an Orc. My slots are full but they’ve announced which server mine will be connected to so I figure I’ll make one there.

Spires of Arak are interesting, but I’m more concerned that half of known Arakkoa history has been retconned out. Terokkar has been turned into Talador, a “heart of draenei civilization”. Uh… what happened to all the Veils that dotted the zone?

It will be interesting to see Blizzard’s explanation for that. I’m hoping for more detailed maps soon to see if our “Terrokar” is a mix of both the Spires of Arak and Talador. Also where does Auchindoun fit into this? Is that the city marked on the map in Talador?

I’m assuming that gnomes will end up with at least one “Serious” face, as even goblins have faces that don’t outright scream “I’M ADORABLE AND HILARIOUS YOU LOVE ME RIGHT YEAH WOOO.” I also assume that the lips will change – if not in shape/elasticity, then in color in connection with skin tone. They may not be QUITE as out there with a different skin.

But I honestly don’t expect much more than that – I think all female gnomes will wind up being ADORBS one way or another, because not only are they short, they can have pink hair. Pink hair doesn’t give me hope when it comes to Being Serious.

On the plus side, however, it appears that now gnomes will have distinguishable knees, so I can’t mock them for their kneelessness (HOW CAN YOU MONK WITHOUT JOINTS) anymore.

And I have to confess here as I have elsewhere that I actually like the crazyass expressions, to the point where I feel guilty and confused as a goblin! I especially heart the /flex face and the >.> look.